Process for preparing amides



UfilTED STATS PATENT YRG ESS FGB EBEPG 11.1?

Herman A. Bruson, Germantown, 9a., aesignor to The Resinous Products & Qhemical Company, Ehiladelphia, Pa.-

No Drawing. Appiication February 3, 1934, i No. 309,595. In Great Britain July 11, 1933.

i3 Qiaims. (Ci. 260-124) The present invention relates to a process for instead of primary amides and that certain unpreparing primary amides of monocarboxylic saturated carboxylic acids such as crotonic which acids having more than six carbon atoms in the have alpha-beta unsaturation in proximity to a molecule, and is a continuation-impart of my carboxyl group yield complex addition products 5 copending U. S. patent application, Serial No. with urea.

676,325, filed 17, 1533. According to the present process, amides of The usual known methods for preparing amides monocarboxylic acids having more than six carby the reaction of ammonia upon acid chlorides bon atoms in the molecule, especially fatty acid or anhydrides, are expensive due to the cost of amides of carbon atoms or more, may be easily 10 making the latter. In processes involving the and cheaply prepared without theuseofammonia 10 reaction of ammonia with carboxylic acids or or expensive equipment by simply heating the esters, good yields of amides have been obtained free carboxylic acid with at least one molecular from the lower aliphatic acids or their esters; equivalent of urea, but preferably an excess of but as the molecular size of the acid increases, urea, at a temperature advantageously between and more pamicularly, as the length of the fatty 180 and 250 0. However, these temperature 5 acid chain increases, the yields of amide prolimits are not to be considered inflexible, as the gressively fall. The high cost consequently of reaction can take place at temperatures as low making primary amides of the aliphatic monoas 160 C. This requires a longer reaction period carboxylic acids having from about 10'to 18 carof course. There is no advantage in exceeding 20 bon atoms is disadvantageous for certain uses. 250 C. however, as considerable decomposition 20 such as for example, in the manufacture of soaps and charring may occur. or wetting agents. Not only are the yields poorer The reaction can be carried out in open kettles the longer the chain; but also mechanical dimat ordinary atmospheric pressure or under a reculties are encountered in separating the amides flux condenser with or withouttheuse of aninert,

having upwards of 10 carbon atoms, from the volatile organic solvent orliquid suspending medi- 25 corresponding ammonium salts of the acids um for the components. The amide is formed which are simultaneously formed in equilibrium together with water and cyanuricv acid probably therewith, and which act as powerful emulsifyin according to the equation:

it ad onish assassins M- 3., the formation oi. creamy emulsions which are (Polymer) difficult to break; particularly in th case No emulsions are obtained when the cyanuric palmitic, stearic, and 0161s am acid is washed out with hot water or dilute soda Attempjis have been made in the P to 10m solution, and since the yield of pure isolatable the reach between the ammmia and h amide is better than 50% of theory, the process 35 ganic acid to go to completion without the forconsequently adaptedto commercial production mation of residual ammonium salts, by heating f the long chain f tt acid amides The amides the acid in a current dry gaseous ammoniaare isolated in the known manner by distillation or by bubbling ammonia through the acid at high under reduced pressure or by mum and temperatures- It been Suggested heat tallization of the reaction product. No amthe higher fatty acids with ammomum carbonate moma recovery p1 ant or mgh meme equipment or with ammonia under pressure. Such methods is required, The cyanuric acid obtained, constinecessitate either an expensive ammoma recovery I! a v 81 me by pr met or the process.

plant or autoclaves for efficient operation; and even under these conditions the decomposition As high boning organic solvents suspending 45 of the ammonium salt of the acid to form the E for the reaction mass during the condensaamjde is very incomplete especially the case tlOn, inert substances such as (pof the higher fatty acids, having from 10 to 18 cymene, yl nz n diph ny 01 others 1- carbon atoms in the molecule. It has also been Dh yl Oxide) m y be d in which case the 5 proposed to make amides by heating carboxylic heating can be carried out under a reflux conacids with ammonium chloride but the yields are denser. With acids whose amides are readily poor and the hydrogen chloride evolved is corformed at lower temperatures the reaction can be rosive to the equipment. carried out in xylene and the water removed as It is furthermore already known that the heatfast as formed by means of the .well known auto-- ing of urea. with dicarboxylic acids forms imides matic water separator which returns the solvent to the reaction vessel but continuously separates and removes the water.

The herein described process is applicable to all monocarboxylic acids containing more than 6 carbon atoms in the molecule which are free from a conjugate system of unsaturated bonds or alpha-beta unsaturation; and which are also free from certain interfering groups or radicals such as hydroxyl, aldehyde, halogen, sulfonic acid, mercapto, or imide-forming groups. The reaction goes readily with aliphatic, aromatic, fatty aromatic, or alicyclic monocarboxylic acids having more than 6 carbons atoms or with ethers of the corresponding hydroxy carboxylic acids, but does not operate well with acids containing any of the above mentioned interfering groups which can combine with urea to produce products other than primary amides. Acids having the formula R-COOH are operative in the present process, where R is a hydrocarbon radical of the aromatic, fatty aromatic, alicyclic, or aliphatic series containing at least 6 carbon atoms, said group R being free from interfering groups or radicals.

The ether acids having the formula ROR' COOH may also be used in this process. In this formula R and R may be aromatic, aliphatic, fatty aromatic or alicyclic groups. R and R may be the same in any acid but are not necessarily so. These acids all contain the ether linkage in which either or both carbon atoms may be one of the atoms of a chain or of a ring group.

As specific examples of such operative acids the following are typical:

Heptoic, caprylic, lauric, myristic, palmitic, oleic, stearic, amyloxyacetic C5H11OCH2' COOH, octyloxyacetic CaH17O-CH2COOH, betahexyloxybutyric CsH1aOCH(CI-Ia) CH2 COOH, methoxybenzoic, naphthoic, toluic, naphthenic, hexahydrobenzoic, abietic, campholic, phenylacetic, phenoxyacetic, phenoxybenzoic. and their homologues. Mixtures of fatty acids which are obtained by the saponification of natural fatty glycerides namely cocoanut oil fatty acids, olive oil fatty acids, cotton seed oil fatty acids and similar. mixed fatty acids can also be employed in which case mixed primary amides are obtained.

Example 1.A mixture of 56 grams oleic acid and 50 grams urea washeated in an open vessel with stirring at 200-210 C. for 5 hours. The black mass obtained was washed with warm 5% soda solution and then with hot water, to remove cyanuric acid. The water-insoluble oil was then distilled under reduced pressure. Pure oleic amide came over as a colorless wax, boiling at about 200 C. under 1 mm. pressure, in a yield better than 50% of theory; the remainder being left in the still as an asphalt-like mass. No emulsions whatever were formed during the washing operations.

Ewample 2.A mixture of 200 grams urea and 200 grams of commercial cocoanut oil fatty acids (containing principally lauric acid mixed with small amounts of decylic, palmitic and stearic acids) was heated with stirring in an open vessel at 190200 C. for 4 hours. After removing the cyanuric acid, the residual oil was distilled under reduced pressure. It came over at about 180- 200 C./3mm. as a colorless, waxy mass of pleasant tea-like odor. The yield was 60% of theory assuming an average molecular weight of 200 for the cocoanut fatty acids.

Example 3.--A mixture of equal weights of urea and stearic acid was heated at 205-210" C. for 5 hours in an open vessel with constant stirring.

The product was a black hard wax. It was boiled with xylene to extract the stearamide, and the latter was purified by recrystallization.

Example 4.Capryloxyacetic acid,

was heated with an equal weight of urea at 180- 190 C. for 3-4 hours. After removing the cyanuric acid by extraction with boiling water, the residual oil obtained was distilled in vacuo. The capryloxyacetamide came over at 147 C./2mm. as a colorless voil which gradually crystallized.

In a similar manner, the amides of the monocarboxylic acids enumerated herein can be prepared. The time of heating varies with the size of the batch to some extent, but in general 4 to 6 hours is sufficient.

The term monocarboxylic acid free from interfering groups as used in the claims refers to the operative monocarboxylic acids of the type set forth above, which are free from conjugate unsaturated bonds, alpha-beta unsaturation, hydroxyl, halogen, aldehydo (CHO), sulfonic acid, mercapto, imide-forming and similar groups which can combine with urea in an undesirable manner.

The above examples are given by way of illustration only, and are not intended to limit the invention. The process described herein may be carried out with acids other than those specifically mentioned in the examples and which come within the scope of the following claims, in order to obtain primary acid amides of the desired properties.

What I claim is:-

1. The process for preparing primary acid amides comprising heating a molecular excess of urea with mixed fatty acids having from ten to eighteen carbon atoms, inclusive, in the molecule and being free of interfering groups, at an elevated temperature so as to split out water and cyanuric acid, subsequently recovering said amide from the reaction product.

2. The process for preparing primary amides of non-hydroxylated fatty acids having more than eight carbon atoms and which are obtained from the hydrolysis of non-drying fatty glycerides, comprising heating said acids with a molecular excess of urea at elevated temperatures so as to split out water and cyanuric acid and subsequently recovering said primary amide from the reaction product.

3. The process for preparing primary amides of non-hydroxylated fatty acids having more than eight carbon atoms, obtained from the hydrolysis of natural non-drying fatty glycerides, comprising heating said fatty acids with at least one molecular equivalent of urea at a temperature of from 180 to 250 C. and subsequently removing cyanuric acid and other impurities from the reaction product.

4. The process for preparing stearamide comprising heating stearic acid with a molecular excess of urea at a temperature of from 180 to 250 C. and subsequently removing cyanuric acid and other impurities from the reaction mass.

5. The process for preparing oleic amide comprising heating oleic acid with a molecular excess of urea at a temperature of from 180 to 250 C. and subsequently removing cyanuric acid and other impurities from the reaction mass.

6. The process for preparing mixed cocoanut oil fatty acid amides comprising heating the mixed fatty acids of cocoanut oil with a molecular excess of urea at a temperature of from 180 to 250 C., and subsequently removing cyanuric acid and other impurities from the reaction mass.

'7. The process for preparing primary acid amides containing more than seven carbon atoms which comprises heating a molecular excess of urea with a monocarboxylic acid having more than seven carbon atoms, and which is free from interfering groups, to a temperature sufllciently high to split out water and cyanuric acid, and recovering said amide from the reaction product.

8. The process for preparing primary acid amides containing more than seven carbon atoms which comprises heating a monocarboxylic acid having more than seven carbon atoms, and which is free from interfering groups, with more than a molecular equivalent quantity of urea, at a temperature of about to 250 C. subsequently separating the cyanuric acid and distilling said amide from the reaction product.

9. The process for preparing primary acid amides containing more than seven carbon atoms which comprises heating a monocarboxylic acid having more than seven carbon atoms and which is free from interfering groups, with more than a molecular equivalent quantity of urea, in an inert, high boiling organic liquid at a temperature sufliciently high to split off water and cyanuric acid.

10. The process for preparing amides of the formula R-CO-NH: wherein R is a hydrocarbon radical containing more than six carbon atoms,

which comprises heating a molecular excess of urea with an acid of the formula R-COOH wherein R is a hydrocarbon radical containing more than six carbon atoms, at a temperature sufliciently high to split out water and cyanuric acid.

11. The process for'preparing amides of the formula R-CO-NH: wherein R is an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical containing at least six carbon atoms, which comprises heating a molecular excess of urea with an acid of the formula RCOOH wherein R is an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical containing at least six carbon atoms, at a temperature sufliciently high to split out water and cyanuric acid.

12. The process formula R-CO-NH: wherein R is a hydrocarbon radical containing more than six carbon atoms which comprises heating an acid of the formula R-COOH wherein R is a hydrocarbon radical of more than six carbon atoms with more than a molecular equivalent quantity of urea at a temperature of from 160 to 250 C.

13. The process for preparing amides of the formula R-CO-NH: wherein R is an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical containing at least six carbon atoms which comprises heating an acid of the formula R-COOH wherein R is an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical of at least six carbon atoms, with more than a molecular equivalent quantity of urea, at a temperature of from 160 to 250 C.

HERMAN A. BRUSON.

for preparing amides of the 

